CountFloyd84

Having not seen the Rush 40 Tour since i'm in the U.K., I would welcome the idea of being able to see 2/3 of the group if it means touring without Neil. Obviously, I'd rather have Neil there, it goes without saying, but it's very very unlikely to happen at this point. However, from the various interviews Geddy and Alex have done recently, it's blatantly obvious they wanted to extend the R40 tour to the U.K. and Europe, and are probably slightly frustrated that Neil put the kibosh on that desire. They also made it clear that they are keen to get back into writing again. If it means seeing Geddy and Alex with another drummer then I'd absolutely take it; it's the only option I have right now for seeing Rush (or as near to Rush as one can get at this point) ever again. Would they consider it? I have no idea.

Thank god Bard isn't here anymore, or lord knows how this thread would have become after FOH's comments! :P But seriously, it's very hard to read those words about Neil and the various grumblings behind the scenes and not feel slightly disappointed by his behaviour. At the same time, it's very difficult TO feel that way about Neil after the man has endured some of the worst things a human being can endure in his lifetime. I guess, as FOH said, I just wish he would have soldiered on for another 3 months or so and given the fans in Europe the conclusion they deserve (because they do deserve it, and Geddy and Alex know this---they'd be in Europe in the blink of an eye if it were up to them) rather than, apparently, rub the whole 'end of the road' thing in everyone's faces. They could have had a brilliant ending to a touring career and ensured that everyone had their slice of the glorious R40 pie, rather than things come to the end the line with so much frustration shared among 2/3 of the band members (not to mention many of the fans, too). I admit I'm naive sometimes, so I really do hope that somehow, somewhere along the line, Neil will have a change of heart and see R40 out with some European shows.

I'm not surprised to hear that Geddy really want to come to the U.K/Europe, as I remember an interview a few months back (Rolling Stone maybe?) that he and Alex acknowledged the fans across the pond deserve to get their taste of R40. I feel sorry for Geddy in particular, as you can tell the guy loves being on the road, not surprised he was bummed after the last show. Alex being interested in more shows was cool to hear, I figured he was more on the fence, although I reckon he probably would have welcome an extended break and then toured. It's abundantly clear that Neil has put the kibosh on any more shows, and you can't blame the guy for wanting to spend time with his family. I live in hope that maybe in a few years he'll get bored and fancy another go, but who knows. Still, at this point, I would gladly welcome some shows with Geddy, Alex and some hired help; anything to see 2/3 members of Rush is better than nothing at all.

Time Stand Still was the first ever Rush song I heard, so it's quite special to me. Aside from that, the song itself is brilliant, I listen to it a lot when I'm out and about. I agree the studio version is perfect, although I am a big fan of the Show of Hands version. I always wondered why Geddy sang the lyric 'I'm not looking back but I want to look around me now' so high when performing it live, when in the studio, it's sung much lower. It would have saved his voice a lot, especially on the Time Machine Tour. He really struggled a bit there, with respect to Ged. As for Big Generator, being a huge Yes fan, I love this album too. Shoot High, Aim Low is one of my all-time favorite songs by that band. Rabin's guitar solo is majestic.

U.K. Rush fan here, so I didn't see the tour, but I've listened to a few full concerts. As such, I'd have to say Jacob's Ladder, with honorable mentions to Xanadu, Hemispheres: Prelude, Cygnus X-1, Clockwork Angels and What You're Doing. But as always, it's Rush, so it ALL rocked :)

IF Rush do decided to do a 'residency' showcase as it were, then I would hope they come to the U.K. as we didn't get to see R40. Still hoping against hope they manage to convince Neil to do a few shows for R40 in Europe, but I know that's probably never going to happen. :(

I am going to trust that you are more 'in the know' than most people here, so I wondered if you'd mind answering something for me? Obviously the band are not touring again as you said, and that presumably includes Europe for R40. But I am curious, was the prospect of some European shows ever discussed? Any idea what the feeling was at the Rush camp about Europe? I know from an interview with Rolling Stone that Geddy and Alex acknowledged the U.K. at least and said they think they deserved to get a send off, so it makes me feel they at least considered it? Presumably, Emperor Peart made it clear that wasn't possible? Thanks! :)

Do I want to see Rush again? Of course I do. I've only seen them once before, and this tour has been superb by all accounts, so I'd love them to do a U.K. leg of the R40 tour. Do I think it will happen? No, probably not. I wouldn't class myself as a selfish fanboy at all; I don't think wanting to see one of my all-time favorite bands on their final tour is selfish at all. I imagine countless other European fans feel the same. That doesn't mean I'm going to boycott them from now on if they don't tour and get mad at them. I've got their albums and my experience from seeing them on the Clockwork Angels tour, and I can enjoy them for the rest of my life. It would just be amazing IF I did get to see them once last time though. :) Part of me would like them to say 'No, there will not be any European shows' just to put the nail in the coffin on that particular hope, as it would give it some finality. Still, that's not Rush's style, and that's fair enough.

I'm a bloke but the thought of having a Rush room mate is an awesome thought. All three are top guys, but I'd probably pick Neil; he's an intelligent guy and I reckon he'd be interesting to talk to, listening to his various beliefs and stories from over the years. Plus, i'd love to learn the drums, and who better to have as a teacher? :)

Lemonycake, welcome to The Rush Forum! First off, that's awesome you saw Rush and enjoyed them; I envy you, as I live in the U.K. and probably won't get to see the tour at all. I think that's crazy your mate didn't enjoy the show, I mean, how can you not get into Rush when they're playing live right in front of you? The music speaks for itself. :D I completely understand what you mean about dead audiences. I saw Rush in London on the Clockwork Angels tour, and things were a bit tame during certain songs; not quite as how you described, but definitely a lot of sitting down. I was thrilled when The Body Electric and Territories was played and really wanted to get up and dance, but I'd have been the only one doing so. Still, it was great when Tom Sawyer came on, as the whole arena was on their feet! I also find it amusing that One Direction were playing the same night as Rush. All those teen boppers haven't a clue what they were missing out on! Talk about two different extremes in music; reminds me of when I saw Genesis in 2007 and Metallica were playing the same night, and all the metal heads were joking about Genesis when we passed at the train station. Oh and one final thing: total respect to you for liking Rush at your age, and extra points for being female. You wouldn't believe how rare that is, at least from my point of view. And they say it's only old blokes like me who are into the greatest band on earth? :codger: (okay, that's an exaggeration --- i'm only 31) :D

I'd love to see another Rush album although whether it'll happen or not is anyone's guess. We know that Geddy and Alex are eager to do some more writing; I can't remember where I read that, but it was in one of the recent interviews that have been doing the rounds. If that means solo work, then great, I'll take what I can get. Unless they convince Neil to commit to a new album though, we won't see something under the Rush name. I definitely don't believe that the guys are done creatively after August 1 though; they're musicians, they'll probably keep doing something, in some capacity, until they fizzle out and call it a day. But right now, a Geddy solo album seems like the best possible candidate---which is fine by me, as I love My Favourite Headache. :) Bottom line, only Rush knows what's going to happen next.

Geddy has made it clear he's pretty keen to tour Europe, and Alex has acknowledged it would be nice to thank their U.K. fans. I suspect Neil is not open to a European leg though, which is why it probably won't happen. I'm still holding out a little hope for it, as I really would love to see them again, but I've accepted it probably won't. Best of both words, really.

I am from Europe and have only seen the band once (Clockwork Angels, London 2013) and I really, really hope they do come over here. I'm not depressed though, as I'm glad I saw them when I did, and I can still enjoy their music whenever I want. I understand why you are upset about it mate, although I would personally be grateful that you have already seen them twice, on two great tours too! Also, don't give up hope; Geddy has made it clear he wants to come to Europe, and Alex acknowledged the need to show their support to their U.K. fans, too. However, Alex and Neil are in a lot of pain, so who knows what will happen. I wouldn't want them to play in Europe if they weren't physically up to it. But yeah, I agree that a few people on here are a bit harsh; music can be a healing factor for some people, and I think we should respect that. You obviously have a very strong relationship with your music and it has obviously helped you through some very tough times from what you have implied.

Absolutely gutted about this, still can't take it in. :( I've been a fan of Yes for over 10 years (not much compared to some people on here, I know) and was lucky enough to see Chris in action with them in 2004 during their 35th anniversary tour. He was a monster of a bass player and one of the world's best, no doubt about it. I find the whole thing even more depressing considering we never got to see him and Jon Anderson perform together again after the split in 2008; I was hoping for one last major tour with the classic line-up. Still, I was pleased to learn that Jon said he and Chris had 'reconnected' again recently, which is good to hear. Nice to read Geddy's words too, although like someone else here mentioned, I'm shocked they never met. I honestly can't believe he passed away so soon after being diagnosed with cancer, I was under the impression he was prepared for a long battle and was in good spirits and ready to face it. I guess the condition was indeed rare like they said; maybe he didn't have much chance of beating it. :( RIP Chris Squire you absolute legend. Rock on in heaven.

My brother doesn't like Rush at all, although it was probably unfortunate that the first song he heard from them was High Water :P I think his reaction was something like 'what's this crap?' Interestingly, people mention on here that people seem to either 'love or hate' Rush, and don't get into them gradually. My best friend, however, has heard me playing Rush now and then when he's over, and seems to have started appreciating them. I was blasting 2112 from the Rush in Rio DVD a few weeks ago and he came up the stairs saying 'that sounds awesome, what is it?' and I proudly told him it was Rush. He seemed to find it cool that Rush was 'jamming' most of the time and there weren't any vocals (it was the Overture section leading into Temples, so that's why. Not sure what he thinks of Geddy's vocals, although he liked Force Ten). Maybe there's hope for him yet :) One thing is sure, he absolutely loathes Genesis and constantly takes the p*ss out of Phil Collins's age, and the age of most bands in general. In fact, he saw Neil drumming while I was watching something on my iPhone and said 'Look at that old bas****.'